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The UK Department for Culture, Media & Sport has released a Digital Strategy for economic, educational and infrastructural growth of the nation. The policy follows a seven prong plan touching on the concepts of Makerspaces, FabLabs, 3D imaging, intellectual property for 3D printing, and growing international Tech Hubs.

In a statement on the strategy the Rt. Hon Karen Bradley MP, UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, explains,

Every individual and every business should have the skills and confidence to seize the opportunities of digital technology and have easy access to high-quality internet wherever they live, work, travel or learn.

Making the UK the best place to start and grow a digital business

Tech City UK is the government’s branch for digital development of businesses throughout the UK. The initiative seeks to connect “the UK’s fastest growing, and most disruptive digital tech companies through a unique programme of networking opportunities, private partnerships and direct links to the UK government.”

Initially set up in the Shoreditch district of East London in 2010, the initiative has since expanded into cities such as Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle. In the annual budget for 2017, the UK government set aside half a billion pounds to invest in the economic growth of these cities, known under the “Northern Powerhouse” umbrella.

One of the developments included in this investment is Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District, incorporating the expertise of companies such as Rolls Royce alongside a reconfigurable smart factory, “Factory 2050”.

The University of Sheffield’s Factory 2050, part of the city’s Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District. Photo by: Bond Bryan via sheffieldbusinesspark.co.uk

In addition, libraries across the UK, and particularly in Scotland, have started to provide 3D printing facilities. With additional CNC and laser cutting capabilities, some libraries have even started hosting Fab Labs and Makerspaces.

Noting this development, the Digital Strategy states,

We will bring together people from across sectors to collaborate and support the expansion of makerspaces in public libraries in England.

Intellectual property

The Digital Strategy also features direct mention of 3D printing in relation to a digital intellectual property regime. Section 3 states,

We need to make sure that the IP rules keep up with technological change. We will, for example, conduct research to look at 3D printing technology and how IP rights apply to 3D files and products. We will legislate through the Digital Economy Bill to give designers a new way of giving the public notice of their IP rights with a web address.

A Cultural Protection Fund of £30 million has been launched to help the UK conserve and protect cultural heritage. The policy outlines that “We expect new technologies such as 3D imaging and video recording to be a key element of this work” hinting towards the proliferation of 3D scanning and printing projects across the globe.

The overall aim is “to accelerate the digitisation of culture, and make culture accessible for all” including improvements to how visitors engage with museum content, and “make the UK one of the world’s leading countries for public collections content.”

Beau Jackson is Senior Journalist at 3D Printing Industry. With a longstanding commitment to the site's content, she is credited with producing more articles than any other author in its history. Well-versed in the latest 3D printing research and legal/regulatory challenges, her repertoire spans aerospace, automotive, maritime, medical and creative industries. She is a keen speaker and active representative of the company at key additive manufacturing events.